reason #541 why i am glad to be an american

thought one:
i remember back in American Lit, reading how people would list in their diaries their sins for each day.

(don't worry, i shan't take up that practice, at least not electronically.)

but i do find that confession is sorely lacking as a habit of mine.

if something becomes uncomfortably glaring, i will confess, etc., but i do not really set apart a time for confession.

and "confess your sins one to another" pretty much never happens... maybe occasionally, but certainly never on purpose... and i always feel rather weird doing so.

kinda not a pleasant thought.

thought two:
we all supposedly know the difference between agape and phileo, right?

for a recap (according to Strong's):
agape: of the will; determined love according to duty ... God's unconditional love
phileo: of the heart; affection, fondness... etc. brotherly love

how easy it is to operate on phileo and credit ourselves for our Christ-like love...

we just don't get involved.

if one does not spend more than an hour or two a week with someone, it's pretty easy to remain "fond" of them. unless one is under supreme stress, strife is unlikely.

one doesn't even need the Holy Spirit to be nice in such an instance.

but getting involved... as in spending prolonged periods of time with someone else, interacting with them on anything other than a superficially-friendly level... either you will be doing some heavy dependency on the Holy Spirit or you will be treating the other person badly.

just that simple.

thought three:
(this is where it gets difficult)

Jesus does not call us to be nice.

He calls us to love one another.

as in... relationships.

ugh.

difficult.

cause if i'm not incorrect (double un-negative that), that entails involvement.

messy.
prolonged.
flesh-hurting.

hmmmmm...